Aerial locomotion.



Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET lc. w. SIRCH.

AERIAL LOCOMOTION.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, I908- RENEWED JUNE 9,1916. 1,221,234..

(cc/aw c. w. smcn. AERIAL LOCOMOTION. APPUCATIONFILED SEPLM,190'8. RENEWED JUNE 9.1916. 1,221,284., Patented Apr. 3,1917;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

c. w. SIRCH.

AERIAL LOCOMOTION. APP IcATIoN FILED SEPT. 14. 1908. RENEWED JUNE 9. ms.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

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CHARLES W. SIRCH, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AERIAL LOCOMOTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1912.

Application filed September 14!, 1908, Serial No. 452,983. Renewed June 9, 1916. Serial No. 102,801.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cnannns W. SIRCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Aerial Locomotion, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to air ships, and has for its object'the provision of a new and improved device for the purpose of air locomotion. Generally speaking, my invention comprises a balloon or bag, in which heated gases are used to maintain buoyancy. Bals loons have been constructed in which hot gases have been used but in these cases these hot gases have been the product or combustion, and are therefore heavier than air when they are of the same temperature as the air. In myimproved air ship I use.

gases. which are of substantially the same weight as air, or lighter, and heat these by artificial means continually, or cool them if desired, thereby to regulate the height at which the air ship remains stable in the atmosphere. It, will then be apparent from this that if a lighter gas, such as pure air, is used in contradistinction to carbon-dioxid that a bag ofv given size will lift almost twice the weight.

I propel my air ship by means of gas or gasolene engines, and in its preferred form then utilize the exhaust gases, which are at a temperature of about 800 degrees, for the purpose of heating the gases contained in the air ship, thereby to obtain the required buoyancy.

I also preferably divide the balloon portion of the air ship into compartments to maintain equilibrium of the entire vessel. One of the most important principles involved in aeroplane designs regulates the size to which any particular type is inherently limited. The reason for this that'the weight of a body increases as the cube of its lineal dimension, and the supporting power of the plane in the air as a square of this dimension. This condition limits the carrying capacity of the aeroplane or heavierthan-air type of air ship. I

In my improved air ship the buoyancy varies directly as the weight; in other words as the cube of the diameter, so that, instead of being limited to a given weight, there is a positive advantage of efliciency in larger sizes.

My improved air ship further contemplates the use of specially prepared envelops for the balloon portion, which will be described more in detail hereinafter, and the greater advantage of this will be apparent when it is pointed out that the ordinary form of silk envelop now employed is limited'to from fifty to sixty ascensions, on account of slow spontaneous combustion of the silk.

In my improved air ship I utilize a light form of gas or gasolene engine for propelling and directing the ship, which engine has a combination of air-cooled and watercooled cylinders, thus eliminating by means of these air coolers practically the weight of two-thirds of the cooling water otherwise necessary.

I further provide, in combination with my improved air ship, a series of planes for the purpose of exerting a directive force upon the entire ship, due to the pressure of the air against these planes, and these planes are constructed in a novel manner, so that'the total area of these planes presented to the action of the outside air is adjustable at will.

My improved air ship consists in its preferred form of a canvas tube twenty or more feet in diameter, containing a number of partitions, thus forming compartments. These compartments are filled with air, or

a mixture of nonexplosive light gases, which 7 are preferably lighter than air, and a highly efficient radiator is used in connection with these compartments, so that the air in these compartments may be heated to raise the air ship to any desired level, the heat for sup-- plying these radiators being furnished from the exhaust gases of the gasolene engine, or from highly ethcient burners.

It will be noted that I use nonexplosivc gases, in accordance with my invention, to overcome the diliiculties incident to the use of hydrogen or other explosive gases, which are at all times subject to the peril of fire or electrical discharges.

In order to establish automatic equilibrium at any desired height I preferably utilize a barometric, or other suitable pressure device, arranged preferably with an electric circuit. and vaive controlling the heat supplied to radiators, so to automatically at predetermined times out off or turn on the supply of heat for said radiator.

I further provide an air compressor, or other suitable device, and a compressed air auxiliary engine to operate the balloon when the gas engine is temporarily out of service.

I of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailed plan view of My invention aims to provide among other advantageous features an improved framework or skeleton for the support of the envelop and the various other parts of the device. Another feature of improvement is the manner of securing'the envelop to the framework and a still further feature is the improved means for suspending the car and the driving engine from the framework.

I will describe my invention more in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating one embodiment thereof,

in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal crosssectional view of the complete air ship constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on lines 22 the planes employed. Figs. 4 and 5 are details of construction illustrating the apparatus shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the central shaft and mountings. Figs. 8 and 9 show in detail the manprovided with spokes 3 at intervals more clearly shown in Fig. 2, which. spokes are secured by the hanger to the wire stay which extends longitudinally along the envelop secured in the lait, by which wire the envelop 1 is fastene' The shaft 2 preferably consists of a large metal tube or pipe made up of sections as shown, which are screwed into collars 5, the sections on oppositeends of said collars 5. preferably having left-hand and right-hand threads respectively to facilitate assembling the collars and pipe to hold the tube in place.

The above structure is particularly advantageous as it employs a minimum of material to the best advantage. The framework or skeleton is constructed in the form of a highly organized truss having well defined and properly arranged tension and compression members. The central shaft or tube 2 forms a compression member and the stays or wires 6 form tension members. The spokes 3 form struts between the tension members 6 and the central compression member 2. The spokes 3 with the stays 6 are laterally stayed by the inflated envelop 1, which, as above explained, is secured by plaits to the wire stays 6.

Wire stays 6 run throughout the length of the ship, and are fastened to the spokes 3, by means of the hanger shown in detail in their respective compartments.

which is designed to be slipped on the wire and secured to it by a set screw, thus sup porting properly the envelop 1. This envelop I preferably construct of some suitable material, such as textile, or thin metal.

If textile is used I employ a strong material, such as unsize canvas.

tougher than leather and insoluble. A similar covering is made on the outside of the envelop, and before it is dried asbestos in a filiform state is applied to it, forming a downy surface, which serves to prevent radiation.

Partitions 77 are firmly fastened across the bag, thus dividing it into compartments, which compartments are air tight and are adapted for separate heating if desired.

The pressure of the gas in the balloon is at all times the same as the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere, but being heated, the gases inside of the balloon make the entire ship lighter than the air, and thus raise it to a level where the pressure is equalized, depending upon the heat that is applied to these interior gases.

A gas engine 8 is suspended from the central shaft 2, which gas engine receives its supply of gas or gasolene from the tank'f). This gas engine 8, by rotating its propeller 10, pulls forward the entire air ship. second engine 11, by means of its propeller 12, pushes the ship. This second engine 11 also receives its supply of gas from the tank 9.. The exhaust pipes 13 and 14 supplv their heat to radiators 15, thus to heat the ages (1 itional radiators are provided, which are heated on the Bunsen rinciple by gas generated from fuel oil ame, which flame is started by a spark of electricity, so that buoyancy is not dependent upon the engines alolne. These radiators are described in detai I Partitions 16 are employed, so that the gasolene engines are not on the interior of any of the compartments.

A car 17 is shown as fastened to the shaft 2. A barometer 18 is connected by means of a battery 19, and a switch 20 to a valve 21, so that when the barometer, due to the pressure of the atmosphere, reaches any predetermined level, the valve 21 may cut off or open the pipe 13 to admit heat or disconnect heat from the radiator 15. Similar valves may be provided if desired in connection with the other radiators 15, thus to maintain the balloon at a specified altitude.

I have indicated in dotted lines at 22 in Fig. 1 the positions of my improved directive planes, which are shown more in detail 1n Figs. 2 and 3. These planes consist of one or more angularly disposed surfaces, as shown dotted at 22 in Fig. 1, a top view of these planes being indicated in Fig. 3. I

provide two end frames 2323 for these.

pieces 23 are held together by means of transverse guide bars 24, as shown in Fig. 3, and along these guide bars 24 sails forming the planes are adapted to slide, thus to present more or less surface to the action of the atmosphere.

I have shown sails 25, which slide along the bars 24, and are pulled'along. said bars by means of ropes 28, suitably operated from the car 17. These sails 25, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are wound at their edges, where they are held along the bars 24 around a cable 26, which cable slides in a groove 27, mounted upon the frame work 24, thus to permit of the sails being held securely in place, and to be adapted for pulling in or out, thus to change the area 0 these planes in operation.

I have shown the right hand inclined plane in Fig. 3 as consisting of three sets of sails, thus more thoroughly to control the area presented to the action of the atmosphere. These planes as shown are of great utility in steering the ship.

It will be seen that I am enabled to regulate the heat in any particular compartment, thus to change the buoyancy of any of the compartments fore and aft. thus tobe in position to utilize the Planes for raising or lowering the air ship by elevating either forward or aft end of said ship.

I have not shown any intermediate means between the gas engine and the propellers, depending upon reversing the gas engine to effect a reversal of the propellers, although other suitable means may be employed to accomplish this result. I also use any other means of change "or transmission which will occur to an experienced mechanic.

The sails 25, together with their supports, form what I call reefing planes, and these sails, as shown in Fig. 3, are adapted to be rolled up by suitably controlled rollers 29,

s which take up the slack.

I-have shown more in detail in Figs. 8 and 9 the manner of holding the wire stays 6. The spokes 3 are suitably fastened in a casting 30, which casting is provided with a groove 31. This groove 31 is provided in a circular bar 32 on the casting 30, and the wire stays pass through the groove 31 and are held by means of the lock-nut 33.

I have shown more in detail in Figs. 6 and 7 the means I employ for cooling the air in the envelop when itis desired to have the air ship descend. The shaft 2 is shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7, and the collars 5 which support the spokes 3 are here shown as holding two adjacent sections of the shaft 2 together. The ends of the shaft 2 which adjoin screw, preferably by means of left and right-handed threads, into the collars 5.

The shaft 2 is hollow, and through the hub 5 I provide an opening 34, which connects with the central opening of the shaft 2, and which channel 34 is connected by means of a pipe 35 to a compressed air tank 36, which provides cool air, and whose flow is controlled by means of the valve 37.

Should the gas. engine for any purpose whatever fail to perform its function, I use an air engine 38, mounted on the same shaft with one of the gas engines, which air en- V gine, through a pipe 39, receives operating fluid from a compressor 40, controlled through a compressor engine 41. A valve 42 allows the manipulation of the fluid to operate the engine 38.

The radiators 15 may be either supplied by heat through the exhaust of the gas engine, or else may be supplied with fresh gasolene or mixture direct from the tank 9, in which case the means provided to ignite this gasolene, shown more clearly in Fig. 10, are utilized. In this case the gasolene enters through the tube 43 and passes into a chamber 44, where it comes into contact with an ignition plug 45, and here it mixes with air supplied through the tube 46, thence passing through the coiled tubes 47 into asecond chamber 48, through the passageway 49, from whence it may be exhausted.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement as herein set forth, but having thus described its salient features, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is:

1. In combination a central longitudinal compression member, a plurality of radial compression members extending from said central member, external tension members secured to the ends of said central member and passing over said radial members to form a rigid hollow truss or frame work and a gas containing envelop secured on the outside of said frame work.

2. In combination a central'longitiulinal compression member, said member comprising a metal tube, a plurality of radial com-. pression members extending symmetrically from said central member, external tension members secured to the ends of said central memberand passing over said radial members to form .a rigid truss or frame work and a gas containing envelop secured to and substantially co-extensive with said'frame work, said envelop inclosingsaid frame work. I

3. In combination a central longitudinal compression member, said member comprising a metal t,ube,'a plurality of radial compression members extending "substantially symmetrically from said central member,

. external tension members secured to the ends of said central member and passing over said radial members toform a rigid truss I tubular compression member, a plurality of longitudinal tension members'secured to the ends of said compression member, a plurality of radially disposed struts" between said tension and said compression members and an envelop inclosing the frame formed by said members.

5.. In combination a central, tubular compression member, radial struts disposed about said member, tension members passing from end to end of said compression member and passing over said struts, a gas inclosing envelop secured to and substantially inclosing said frame, and a plurality of transverse partitions in said envelop, forming compartments.

6. In combination a rigid central compression member, rigid radial struts, said struts being disposed about said member, tension members passing from end to end of said compression member and passing over said struts, a gas inclosing envelop secured to said frame and a plurality of transverse partitions in said envelop forming individual compartments, said tubular member having means in communication therewith for controlling the buoyant effect of the gases in said compartments.

7 In combination a rigid central tubular compression member, radial strutsdisposed about said member, tension members passing from end to end of said compression memher and passing over said struts, a gas tight envelop secured to said frame, a plurality of transverse partitions in said envelop forming individual compartments, said tubular member having means communicatin therewith for cooling the gases in each 0 said compartments and means for supplying heat to said gases. v

8. In combination a rigid central longitudinal tubular compression member, a plurality of longitudinal tension members se-v cured to the ends'of said compression membetween said tension and said compression members, a gas inclosing envelop secured tosaid members and motive means suspended directly from said tubular member.

9.-Incombination a central longitudinal compression member, radial struts disposed about said member, tension members passing from end to end of said compression member, and passing over said struts, a gas 1ncloslng envelop securedto sald frame and an internal combustion engine supported directly from said tubular member and lying within the periphery defined by said radial .Struts.

10. In combination a rigid central tubular compression member consisting of sections secured into hubs, rigid radial struts extending from said hubs, tension members passing from end' to end of said compression member and passing over said struts to form a rigid frame, a gas tight envelop secured to saidframe and a plurality of transverse partitions in said envelop forming individual compartments, said tubular member having communication with said compartments through said hubs.

11. In combination a central longitudinal compression member, a plurality of radial compression members extending fromsaid central member, external tension members secured to the ends of said central member and passing over said radial members to form a frame, and a gas containing envelop substantially inclosing said frame, said envelop being secured to the outwardly extending ends of said radial members.

12. In combination a central longitudinal compression member, a plurality of radial compression members extending from said central member, external tension members secured to the ends of said central member and passing over said radial members to form a frame, and a gas containing envelop substantially inclosing said frame, the plaits or seams of said envelop extending longitudinally and embracing said tension members.

13. In combination a central longitudinal member, outer means comprising a gas containing envelop and wires substantially inclosing the central member and struts between said central memberand said outer means, said central member being under compression only and said outer means under tension only.

14. In combination a central longitudinal member, a plurality of struts disposed about said member, a plurality of longitudinal stays secured to the ends of said central member and passing over said struts to form a frame and an envelop substantially inclosing said frame, said central member and .said struts being under compression only 15. In combination a central longitudinal compression member, a plurality of radial compression members extending from said central member, external tension members secured to the ends of said central member and passing over said radial members to form a rigid hollow trussor framework and a gas tight envelop secured to said wires and being held distended thereby upon the outside of said framework.

16. In combination a central compression member, radially projecting strut members secured to said central compression member and an envelop inclosing said members, said envelop having wire stays under tension secured to the ends of said central compression member and passing over said radially projecting strut members.

17. In combination a central longitudinal compression member, a plurality of radial compression members extending from said central member, external tension members secured to the ends of said central member and passing over said radial members to form a rigid hollow truss or frame work, said radial members having notches in the outer ends thereof to receive the tension members and a gas containing envelop having plaits extending into said notches and surrounding the tension members, said gas containin envelop being held distended by said mem ers.

18. An air ship having a gas containing bag, which is covered on its interior surface with a thin solution of gelatin containing a small percentage of bi-chromate salt applied in nonactinic light.

19. An air ship having a gas containing bag whose outer surface has a covering of gelatin applied in nonactinic light, and to which is applied a non-heat conducting substance in filiform state. I

20. An-air ship having a gas inclosing bag, means for heating'and cooling the gas in said bag for the purpose of raising and lowering said air ship, a barometer and electrical instrumentalities in association with said barometer and aforesaid means to con- CHARLES w. SIROH.

Witnesses:

MARGARET F. SIRCH, W. A. TREPPARD. 

